What Am I?
by Gracilynn
Summary: Gracie has never fit in, and is always struggling not to be rejected, but what will she do when she is mutated into a giant turtle and found by the guys? They all find themselves falling for her in their own ways, while she only holds one in her heart. Her life is in ruins, and she may unintentionally be causing the same fate for theirs as well...
1. Chapter 1

"Gracie!" Alex called after me. "Wait!" I could hear the concern in his voice, but I didn't stop. I didn't want him to see me this way. He's seen me worse, but after a recent bully attack, I was feeling particularly horrid and everything about me seemed completely disgusting. Especially my puffy, red, tear-and-snot-stained face. I kept running. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, but my feet were. I knew they would lead me to the park, my only sanctuary in the busy city of NYC.

I could hear his footsteps slowing, and his breathing beginning to labor. His running was no match with my top-of-track pace. I slowed down a bit, for his sake, but I still didn't stop. I sped forward, looking away from pedestrians walking by. I can't even imagine how we must have looked, a sobbing teenage girl being pursued by a wheezing, stumbling boy. To them it's just another teenager romance drama, most likely.

I could now see the big arched gateway into the massive park. I picked up my speed, knowing Alex would be able to find me. I sprinted forward, running through the arch, and into the large area. The park was gargantuan. It contained long, winding paths throughout everything, huge fields holding all kinds of sports courts, wooded areas with trees so thick in some places you could climb to the very top without even having to lift yourself up, picnic spaces, gazebos big enough to fit a circus tent, multiple playgrounds, and so much more you could spend a week in there and still not see it all. It's hard to believe a city could hold such a beautiful place. That's why I loved this place. It's just so easy to lose yourself, and let go.

I take a sharp turn and veer towards the closest patch of trees. I steal a glance over my shoulder and see that Alex isn't far behind, so I accelerated even more, zooming past all the people, ducking into the thick miniature forest. I weave my way through the trees until I find the right one.

Me and Alex had had our own special spot in this park ever since we were kids. We were always the rejects, and finding a safe place was hard. But when we saw this, we knew right away it was perfect. It was great. The mean kids claimed they didn't want to go anywhere near our "loser germs", but me and Alex knew that they were really just scared. The winding, twisted trees weren't exactly welcoming, and the hard trek to get to our particular tree was very exhausting. Over the years me and Alex had mastered it so well we could get to the tree in under a minute, knowing just the right route, while it took the other kids at least ten. And the trees were easy to learn to love. With their amazing shapes, they created the best jungle gym a kid could ever ask for.

Our fort was simply astonishing. It consisted of multiple trees wound together into a magnificent structure. One long branch from the further-most tree hung down to the ground, and with its bumpy pattern, it formed the perfect staircase. Once you had climbed up that, they led you to a hollowed out hole in the tree, where the multiple trunks and limbs of the trees intertwined, leaving a pocket big enough for about six big people can fit comfortably, and the two of us can move freely inside (They were _really _big trees). I crawl into it, already feeling secure as heat radiated from my body and filled the small space.

It takes a few moments for Alex to catch up to me, and in that time I manage to calm myself down a bit, wiping the moisture from my face and slowing my heart and breathing rate. Once he get here, he plopped himself down heavily beside me, emitting a heavy breath. I wait patiently as he catches his air, and he leans back by me and wraps his arm around my shoulder as he practically gasps for air. My skinny friend is obviously not the sporty type person.

"You shouldn't run that hard, you going to make your asthma worse." I warned him. He had really bad asthma as a kid, and even now, if the air is thin or he uses to much energy, he can get into coughing fits, where he can barely breath. He leans against me and tilts his head back so he can look at my face. He places a hand on his heart and breaths in an excessively dramatic way. He looks kind of funny, trying to look at me upside down. I send him a small smile, knowing he is only trying to cheer me up. He smiles back at me, breaths a final "Whew!" In my face, and sits up and turns toward me.

"You call that running hard?" He said, raising his brows. "Did you _see_ yourself? Well, I sure _didn't_. You're like a blur out there!" He nudged my foot with his own. As I don't respond, he adds, "A very beautiful blur, by the way." He says, trying to replace the harsh words that had been spoken to me earlier, making his eyebrows do a little do a wave movement, at which I can't help but smile. He knows I love it when he does that. That was actually how we became friends in the first place. I can remember it clearly. We were both in kindergarten, and he walked right up to me and said. "You want to see what I can do with my eyebrow hairs?" As my best friend, he always knew exactly how to make me smile.

I scoffed. "Yeah, _sure _I am." I say with a roll of my eyes. "The day you get Patrick Dunham to say that, I'll believe you." Patrick was a really popular kids in my school. One of the hunks that all of the girls were supposed to fall head-over-heels for and all the boys were supposed to be crazy jealous over, with his black hair, dark blue eyes, and _huge _muscles. _I _hated him, though. He was always such a jerk to everybody. But, If Patrick says it, it happens.

Alex cast me a serious look. One he doesn't wear very often. "You _are_ beautiful, Grace. You would be beautiful no matter what you looked like, because you're a great person." I could tell he was really trying to get through to me, but it wasn't working very well. Of course _he _thinks so, he's my friend.

"The inside beauty isn't really what gets you places with these kids." I say, referencing to all the stuck-up snobs in our school.

"It's what gets you places with the _good _people." He tells me. This makes me feel better. It amazes me how he always knows just what to say, and just when to be serious, or when to lighten the mood with his antics. I am glad he's my friend. I sigh and lean over, allowing my head to rest on his shoulder, stretching my legs out into the spacious bubble, as they were getting tired.

"Why can't I just be like you?" I say softly. He was so perfect. They only reason he wasn't so popular was because he wasn't so huge, and muscular. He was pretty tall, he was sixteen in a month, and he stood 6' 2", when I was fifteen and a tiny 5'7" compared to him. But he was skinny, like me. That's why one of Patrick's goons had made up the song, "Skin and bones couple." I won't even bother saying how it goes. But he really was handsome, with his neat sandy brown hair that had the most adorable curls on each ear, and his light green eyes. He had nice features, nice chin, nice ears, nice nose, nice hands, he even had nice feet, to be honest. I thought of me, with my straight, straw yellow hair, my freckled face, and my grayish misty blue eyes, and couldn't find myself beautiful.

He turned his head so his chin was resting a little above my ear. I could feel his warm minty breath on my face. "You're better than me, Grace. Way better." He whispered. I suddenly felt very tired, probably from crying so hard, as it seemed to do that to me, and wanted to go to sleep. I peered out through the slits in our cocoon. The sky was still pretty light. I figured I could take a small rest. I nuzzled my head further into his neck until I was completely comfortable. He seemed to catch on to my notions, as he also lay his head down on top of mine. I made a contented humming sound, then I shut my eyes. I soon found myself dozing off to the sound of his steady breathing.

* * *

I was jolted out of my dreams by a shrill ringing sound. I opened my eyes. "What?" I mumbled, confused. As the sound went off again, I realized it was my cellphone ringing. I grabbed my bag from my side and began rooting through its contents. As the phone rang again, Alex moaned in his sleep and began to stir. I patted his arm. "It's okay, go back to sleep." I tell him. He seems to hear me and settles back down. I find my phone and pull it out of my bag triumphantly as it rings again. I flip it open quickly.

"Hello?" I say quietly, so as not to disturb Alex. "_Where the hell are you?!" _Someone yells from the other end. I recognize the voice as my older sister, Sarah. "Sarah, It's okay. I'm with Alex." I assure her. _"It's okay?" _She yells _"Do you have any clue what time it is?" _I don't. I look out one of the holes in the fort, and It's pitch black outside. I look at the time on my phone. 1:13 flashes back at me. Oops. "Oh, Sarah, I had no clue! I fell asleep, and-" She interrupts me before I can finish. _"You weren't doing anything inappropriate, were you?"_ She had stopped yelling, but she added this last part in an accusing tone. "No! Of course not! It's just Alex, you can trust us!" I say back, a little embarrassed. She should know that we would never do something like that. _"You sure?" _she questioned. "Yes! Of course I'm sure!" I say back to her. I tuck my hair behind my ear, and once my peripheral vision is clear, I realize Alex is watching me. I cast him a voluntary wince as if to say "sorry about her." because I know he can hear her from where he is. He shrugs back at me, and places his hands on his hips and silently mocks the way my sister talks. I smile. I love my sister, I know she is just trying to protect me. She's eighteen now, and when my mother died, she had to take up the role of the responsible one. But, she can be overprotective a lot, which gets annoying.

"_You are _so _lucky dad hasn't come home yet! You need to hurry up and get here. _Now!" I cringed at the thought of my alcoholic dad. "Okay, Sarah. I'll be there in fifteen minutes, promise!" I told her, and shut the phone before she could respond. I turned to Alex.

"I have to go." I told him, even though he already knew, as he had heard the whole conversation. He nodded. "Yeah, me too." We both began packing up our stuff. He grabbed a flashlight. "Might need this." He said. I dipped my head in agreement.

I crawled out of the hole first, sliding down the steps carefully, as we were about ten feet up in the air, and I preferred not to fall. All though it was to dark to see, I had done it so many times that I got down with ease. Alex was beside me in a few seconds. He flicked on the flashlight, allowing us vision in the dense trees. We wove our way out quickly, and soon we were in the large field, where we no longer needed the flashlight, because there were street lights everywhere. We walked to the front gate together.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Alex offered me. He took off his bag and shoved his flashlight

inside of it, then slung the bag back over his shoulder.

"No, thanks. I'll just run there, I'll get there faster. Besides, you need to get home, too. Your mom might be worrying." I shoved him on the shoulder lightly. He was an only child, and he lived with his mom. His parents divorced a long time ago, and he never gets to see his dad, though he claims that he doesn't care, because he doesn't like him anyway. Because she has no other children to worry about, Alex's mom always is concerned about him.

"My mom's out on business for a few days. I got the whole house to myself." He said with a grin. Like I said, he doesn't get to do these things very often.

"Alex, I'm fine!" I laughed. "Go home! I can handle myself!" I shoved him away from me playfully. He breathed out a long, loud sigh.

"Fine!" He whined. I laughed at him.

"Well, see ya." I said, and began to turn away.

"Gracie." He said, making me turn around. He cast his sparkling green eyes onto me. "Stay safe. Don't get mugged, or something." He smiled at me. I returned the smile, touched by his worry for me. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his torso, pulling my head against his chest. He pulled me tight against him. I loved Alex hugs. They were the best.

"I wont, I promise." I whispered to him.

"I'm going to hold you to that." He said as we released each other. I just smiled to him as I turned away, waving back to him. As he turned around, I took off sprinting.

I loved the feeling of running. The wind in my hair, my feet one with the ground. My surroundings passing in a blur, making me feel as though I was somewhere else, somewhere where none of the jerks matter. None of the terrible people can hurt me. I am, who I am. And who I am I perfect. As I push my body as far as it can go, my muscles screaming with the strain, I feel powerful. I speed on, passing blocks in mere seconds. Suddenly, something catches my eye.

I stop, to see that I was looking at a pet store. What had caught my attention was a new sign up, framed in glittering Christmas lights. The sign read:

**New!**

**Baby Turtles!**

**On Sale For $15.00 Each!**

I thought of my little brother, Ethan. He loved turtles. I decided that I should get him one, since his eighth birthday is in a week. I was pretty exhausted from running so hard, so I decided to walk for a short while, to recharge my energy. Once I got to the end of the block, I noticed a little green speck by my foot. Interested, I bent down to look at it. I couldn't believe it. _A baby turtle!_ I guessed that it somehow escaped from the store, or maybe someone had bought it and dropped it. I didn't care. It was so cute! I was going to bring it home and surprise Ethan early. I was so thrilled, because we don't usually have much money to get presents with, and only me and Sarah will get them for him, considering my dad's to busy drinking away his troubles.

I literally jump for joy as I picture my adorable blonde haired, blue eyed, gap-toothed little brother's huge dimpled smile when he sees it. He looks the most like my mom, with his straight, light blonde hair, and light blonde eyes. I look like my mom too, but not as much. I wish I could be beautiful, like she was. Sarah looks like my dad, except her brown hair is lighter, but she has the same hazel eyes.

I scoop up the little reptile, and begin jogging again, looking down at the adorable creature I now posses. I wasn't watching where I was going, and suddenly I ran straight into someone.

I looked up with surprise, wondering why someone was out as this time. I see a man in front of me, dressed in a crisp black suit. I quickly shove the turtle into my sweatshirt pocket. "Oh, sir, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there." I say to him. He wasn't even looking at me, like he hadn't felt it at all. "Sir...?" I question, wondering what was wrong. This time he turns his head toward me in a very stiff motion. I find myself staring into two black orbs of nothing. There was no life in those eyes. Suddenly, his whole body snapped towards me, and he emits a screechy, squealing, robotic noise. That's when I realize that he was not okay. And that he was not alone. I turn my head, suddenly seeing that there was at least twenty different people here. All though, different might not be the best word to describe them, because they looked _exactly _the same. I don't think people describes them very well, either. Alerted by their comrade, they all turn the same lifeless eyes to me. I gulp.

Then I noticed what they were doing. They had a line formed, one end in some kind of warehouse, the other by a big vehicle. They were passing along luminous capsules of greenish looking goo. Several of them were outside of the line, holding objects that looked like space guns. The one I had crashed into seemed to be ordering all of them. I was not supposed to be seeing this.

I slowly inch away. "So sorry, sir, I'll just, be going now..." I try to make a break for it, running at top speed. I dart away from the _thing _I had run into, and aim for a gap between the freaks. But I barely even made it halfway, before one of their arms snapped out, quick as lightning, and grabs me. He hoists me up off of the ground. I shriek in protest. He makes a serious of beeps and clicks, and I suppose he is communicating with the others.

"She has seen to much. Capture her." A new voice says. I doubt it came from any of these robot-like people, but I still can't see who says it.

"No!" I yell. "Let me go! Let me _go!_" I begin struggling. I don't seem to be getting anywhere, until I realize the one holding me was carrying one of the strange canisters. I guess that they are important, so I aim my foot, and skillfully knock it from his hands. It falls through the air, then hits the ground hard, and shatters. Spilling the glowing substance everywhere. While they were distracted by the commotion. I crash my body against my captor, causing him to drop me. I realize, too late, that it was right into the middle of the liquid. I land on my hands on knees, but glass from the container stabs into my hands, and I feel the strange stuff seeping into my cuts. I scream as a terrible burning sensation fills my hands.

"Leave her, it'll finish her off! Let's go!" The husky male voice commanded. The creatures all run and jump into the vehicle. It sped off. Leaving me. I tried to get out of the liquid as fast as I could, but I only succeeded in cutting myself more, and it entered those wounds as well. I fell to my side, screaming, as I felt like I was being burnt alive I thought, surely, I was dying. I thought of Alex. I thought of my promise to him, and I felt terrible.

But, strangely, the last thing I thought of, was of the little, baby turtle in my pocket. It felt as though I could feel what it was thinking. And, it wasn't scared. But, instead, it felt powerful, like it was whole. Whole with me...

**Well then! There's the first chapter, I hope you liked it! What's going to happen to Gracie? To Gracie's family? To Alex? And where the _heck_ are my ninja turtles?! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sarah's P.O.V:**

"Where _is _she?" I worried aloud, pacing our apartment. It wasn't much, just a tiny kitchen, living room, and bathroom, and an even smaller two bedrooms. One for my dad, and one for me and Gracie. The pantry we customized into Ethan's tiny bedroom.. It wasn't the best, but it was all we could afford.

Gracie was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. I'd assumed her and Alex were at the park, which isn't far way, but maybe I was wrong. It's a good thing that my dad wasn't home, -who knows where he is- because if he had noticed she was gone, he would have freaked out. But, of course, he was to busy drinking away his sorrows to care about his children.

"What's wrong?" A hear a tired little boy's voice from behind me. I turn around to see my little brother Ethan emerging from around the corner. He was wrapped up in his favorite green blanket that featured little cartoon turtles all over it. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he walked up to me. I knelt down and let him walk into my arms. I look down at his wise eyes and summon the most reassuring smile I can manage.

"It's nothing, Spikey." I tell him. He had insisted at three years old that everyone call him Spike, and somehow the silly nickname stuck. He snuggled closer to my body, and, without missing a beat, guessed the truth immediately.

"It's Gracie, isn't it?" He asked. It startled me how perceptive he can be sometimes. I sighed. I can't keep anything from my eager brother.

"Yes." I answer truthfully in a whisper. He nodds.

"Is she okay?" He asks me. He looks up at me with worry In his eyes. I felt bad for him. Little Ethan had bad separation issues, due to the fact that he lost his mother at only two years old, and his father became a useless drunk not long after. I try to look strong, for Ethan.

"She was supposed to be here a while ago, and she hasn't arrived yet." I see the dread in his face once I say this, and I quickly change my answer. "Don't worry, she's with Alex. They were probably just goofing off or something." His face calms a little as I say this, but I can still see the fear in his face. He doesn't respond. I let out a big breath.

"Come on." I tell him, getting up and holding out my hand. "I'll tuck you in. If she's not back in a little bit, then we'll get some help. Don't worry, it'll be okay." He get s up off the floor with a determined look on his face and grasps my hand. Sometimes I think he is braver than me. I begin to lead him to his tiny room, but he stops me.

"Sarah?" He asks, sounding suddenly meek.

"Yeah?" I respond, looking down at his bright blue eyes.

"Can I sleep in your room tonight?" He asks. I smile.

"Of course." I respond. I lead him into my bedroom, where he immediately crawls up the ladder into Gracie's bunk. "Goodnight." I whisper to him as I crawl into my bed.

"Goodnight." He replies, and soon the room is filled with the sound of his heavy breathing. I roll over in bed and close my eyes. But I didn't go to sleep. Instead, I waited. And waited. But Gracie didn't come home.

* * *

**Gracie's** P.O.V:

When I woke up, I had a huge headache. I opened my eyes, but quickly shut them again as it was extremely bright and it made my headache worse. My head was buzzing, my whole _body _hurt, and i felt like I was going to throw up.

_'Maybe I've come down with something.' _I think to myself. My heart was beating really fast, and I was out of breath, like I had just run a marathon. A shadow of a dream flickered across my memory, and a chill ran down my spine. Weird.

My back felt extremely sore, so I began to roll over in my bed. But then I stopped. Why was my bed so hard? I opened my eyes, shocked to find myself taring down at the pavement. _'what?' _I thought. I sat up in alarm. I was in a gray alleyway. The bright light from before was just a light hanging off of the building to my back. A choked gasp escaped my throat as the dream from last night came rushing back to me. I noticed my bag lying on the ground by a pile of rags. I reached out for it, but my hand never made it to the strap. Instead, it was frozen in place, suspended in the air. And I was sitting, staring at it in horror.

It was _green. _My skin. My normally tan, freckled, smooth skin. It was _green. _I quickly dropped it, unable to look at it any longer. I forced my eyes to snap down to my body. It was the same. I was hideous. Then it finally hit me. It wasn't a dream. I really did run into those robot freaks, really did fall in that liquid, really did turn in to a- really was- _a monster. _I thought. I looked away. It was to much to bear. It wouldn't have mattered anyways, because at that moment my vision filled with tears, causing everything to blur.

_'I need to get out of here' _I thought. They would find me. Capture me. Put me in a zoo, a science lab. Probably kill me. I looked around and spotted a sewer cover at the end of the alley. The sewers seemed like the safest option. I crawled over to the cover. My body screamed in protest. Once I got to the cover, I grabbed both sides tightly, trying to control my hands, as they were shaking tremendously. I gulped and prepared for the strain of prying the cover loose. I tugged as hard as I could, and was shot backwards with the momentum as the lid came off way easier than I had expected it to. I landed on my bag. I sat up and threw the cover in frustration, shouldered my bag, and dropped into the hole.

I landed on my knees, and slumped to the ground as my body was to weak to support me. I dragged myself across the ground until I found a spot that didn't smell quite as disgusting a the rest. I fell asleep before I had stopped moving, as my body was to tired to cooperate.

* * *

**3rd Person:**

"Mikey!" Leonardo called over his shoulder. "Get up!" He rolled his eyes at his little brother's laziness. He turned back to the television, where he flipped through the channels in a very uninterested fashion. He and his brothers where in a very bored mood today. Donatello was sitting next to him, fiddling with some new device of his, and Raphael was sitting farther away on a bean bag reading his comics. Leo dropped his hand to his lap, leaned his hed back, and closed his eyes with a sigh. He hated having nothing to do. But, there wasn't any crime alerts, or trouble with the foot or purple dragons. There was absolutely nothing.

A large yawn could be heard from behind them as a tired Michelangelo emerged, his arm extended over his head as he stretched.

"Jeez, Mikey, who needs to vacuum when you got a mouth like that?" Don mumbled, making reference to the massive yawn Mike had let out. Raph scoffed.

"Who vacuums?" He said sarcastically.

Mikey made a face. Without opening his eyes, Leo could predict his little brother's confusion. "He joking, Mikey" He told him. Mikey seemed to be content with that. He walked over and plunked down on the couch, releasing a big breath.

"Hey, turn that up." Mikey said, pointing a finger at the TV screen. Leo opened his eyes and looked at the TV. He saw that he had landed on the news channel. On it was a clip of an older teenage girl with a brown ponytail, and a little boy with light blonde hair and bright blue eyes. The little boy had tears running down his face, and the girl looked really upset, but it was obvious she was trying not to cry. She took the boys shoulders and they turned away from the camera. The screen then changed to a blonde news lady with bouncy blonde hair who was talking to the camera. Leo turned the volume up.

"-early this morning. There was no one there at the time, so we have no evidence of how she went missing. Her older sister says she called her, but heard no further from her. A friend at the scene says he wasn't aware of what happened either, because they parted ways to walk home before it happened. If anyone has seen this young girl, please call this number." On the screen appeared a picture of a pretty girl about our age, with blonde hair, misty eyes, and a freckled face smiling at the camera. Underneath the picture a phone number flashed on the screen. "Once again, Gracie Hamilton, fifteen years old, went missing early this morning. If you have any idea where she is or any clues to how she went missing, please call us." The number flashed again. The news changed to the weather, and Leo turned the TV back down.

"Kidnapped." Mikey said quickly, then letting out another yawn.

"Run away." Donnie said right after.

Raph thought a moment. "Drunk, got lost."

This was a game they played. Leo thought that at times, it seems pretty sick. When they were uncertain of something on the news, each one of them would guess what had happened, and if one of them got the correct answer, everyone else would have to give them something of value that they owned.

"Well, _I _think we should look for her." Leo aid with a shrug. Mikey was disappointing he didn't participate in their little game, but, like Mikey does, he brushed it off. The brothers stared at Leo.

"Why?" Raph said, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"Because." Leo said. He held out a hand, palm upward. "There's nothing else to do."

"But we've never gone searching for a missing person." Mikey said.

"We'd be good at it, considering our training for being and finding stealthy people."

Mikey and Raph both shared the feeling of not wanting to go out. Mikey because it was Saturday and they always have good movies on all day, Raph, just because he's Raph.

"It _could _be fun, like a game of hide and seek." Don suggested. This got Mikey's attention. He _did _love that game. Although, most of the time he preferred to be the one to hide, so he could feel triumphant when he could not be found. But, being the seeker was fun, too.

"Well, we're going, because I said so." Leo said, crossing his arms in persistence. Mikey sighed, though he wasn't that upset about it.

"Fine" Raph grumbled. "When are we going, fearless?"

Leo took only a moment. "After breakfast. We'll need the food for energy, but leaving early will give us more time. But we have to be extra stealthy." Sensei had decided that they were aloud to go out during the day once they had all proven themselves careful enough.

Raph grunted in response. Once that was decided, it only took Mikey a few seconds before he jumped on another subject.

"What's for breakfast?" Mikey whined loudly.

"Mikey, we don't know. Please don't be dramatic." Leo said.

"So, you don't have anything planned?" Mikey asked, a goofy grin on his face.

"No, Mikey." Don said. To consumed in his gadget to see the look on Mikey's face. Raph rolled his eyes, knowing what was next.

"Pizza for breakfast!" Mikey shouted, bolting up from where he sat. His brothers flinched at how loud his voice was as he ran to get a jacket, almost running straight into Sensei, who had just walked out of his room.

"Michelangelo, please calm down." Sensei said, massaging his temples. Mikey smiled sheepishly, then walked the rest of the way to get his street clothes. He shrugged a huge trench coat, and plopped a floppy hat on his bald head, pulling it low to hide his face. Sure, he looked like a total weirdo, but who cares, right? New York...

"Are you alright, Sensei?" Leo asks, noticing the stressed look in his father's eyes.

Splinter nods slowly. "Yes, I just... Michelangelo, where are you going?" He said as Mikey was halfway through the door. Mikey faltered mid-step and turned around.

"Just going out to get some breakfast!" Mikey said, flashing a big smile.

"Alright, just be careful." Sensei said. Acknowledging he could go with a dip of is head.

"You got it, Sens'!" Mikey said, shoving a wad of cash in his pocket and dashing out the door. He faintly hears his sensei talking with his brother as he raced down the sewer tunnels.

* * *

Gracie woke up on the cold stone ground of the sewers. Her pain wasn't any better than it had been, if anything, it had grown worse. It took her only a moment to remember what happened. There was a brief surge of hope from her as the illusion game that minds like play told her that it was okay, that it was all fake. But that hope was shattered as her eyes looked down at her body.

Her skin was still green. It was a light color, almost blueish. It was a sea foam green color. Her skin was still freckled, but instead of being a tan orange-y color, all over her shoulders, arms, legs, and probably face, where darker turquoise spots. Her hands and feet were missing fingers and toes. On her hand, she had three thin fingers and a thumb. Her feet hand three toes. It looked very peculiar. What was she? Some kind of lizard freak? Her torso was covered in a light yellowish brown plastron material. She noticed that it covered all of her privates, but you could still see a pair of hills in her shell-like material that marked out where her breasts were. Shell-like. She thought again. She reached around to her back. Sure enough, there was a large lump there that was obviously a shell. _A turtle? _She thought. Then she remembered the baby turtle. The one she had meant to take home as a birthday present for little Ethan. _Looks like I'm his present now. _She thought miserably. If she wasn't so terrified, she might have found it funny. Her mind began to fit the pieces together. The turtle, the mysterious glowing liquid, the excruciating pain... _Some how_, she had transformed into the shelled reptile she was now. She was half human, half turtle. She was a mutated _monster_.

It couldn't be. But it was. Her green skin, her bald head, her shell. Her eyes filled with tears as a mixed jumble of anger, sorrow, terror, and confusion overwhelmed her. What was she going to do? It was over. Her life was ruined.

She let out a sob, and slumped over, falling to her side on the hard ground. Tears began streaking down her face as she pounded the rock with her fist. "Why?" She wailed. "Why? Why?! _Why?!" _She laid on the ground weeping uncontrollably for a long moment, when suddenly her gut wrenched. She felt an acidy taste fill her mouth, and she squeezed her eyes shut as a terrible burning sensation slid up her throat. She felt something surge from her gut into her throat as she began vomiting, spewing up any food she had eaten and reliving her stomach of its terrible nauseous feeling. She choked on the puke until there was nothing left in her stomach, and she was gagging on air. Once she had finished, she laid on the ground, gravity and exhaustion taking there toll on her weak body. She could barely move. Suddenly, she seemed to find it an effort to breath. She lay on the ground limply.

She knew this was it. She knew she could never see anyone again. Everyone would think she had died, until she finally _did _die, all alone, in these disgusting sewers. but one thing she did _not _know, was that there was a pair of shining blue eyes watching her silently from the shadows.

* * *

**Mikey's P.O.V:**

I had been running through the sewers, going to get some pizza for breakfast, when I had heard crying. It was faint, coming from a different tunnel than the one I need to travel to get to the pizza place. For a brief moment, I considered ignoring it and continuing on my way. Hey, I was _hungry._ But, I couldn't leave something like this. I turned and sped down the other tunnel. But when I got there, I stopped dead in my tracks. What I saw, it was _beautiful. _I mean, she -I could tell it was a girl for obvious reasons- was like me. She was a turtle. She had the prettiest sea foam green colored skin, and darker freckles dappled her body.

She was beautiful, but she was in trouble. She was obviously freaking out. Suddenly her whole body lurched, and before I knew it, she was throwing up. I looked away, wincing at the sound. When she finished a moment later, her whole body slumped to the ground like a rag doll. I peered out at her, the amazing creature before me. It tortued me to see the obvious pain he was dealing with. She looked so weak. Silent tears fell across her freckled cheeks. I took a step forward to see her better, but my foot struck something, and it clattered across the floor noisily.

Her eyes focused, and her body stiffened. "Who's there?" She whispered. Her voice was hoarse and miserable, but it still sent chills through my body. I didn't come out, frozen where I was. She propped herself up on an elbow with very apparent pain.

"Come out!" She commanded. Her voice was louder, but still scratchy. I hesitated.

"Don't be afraid." I told her. Her eyes seemed to get large, but she nodded. I stepped forward slowly, first putting one foot out of the shadows. It had a large boot on it, for going topside. She eyed it warily. I pulled the rest of my body out so she could see me. She looked at me with a vigilant eye as I removed my boots, then my coat, and last of all my hat. Once she could see my appearance, her eyes got bigger, and her mouth hung open slightly.

"But...you're like me." She croaked, confusion thick on her tongue. It was hard to understand her, as her voice was very worn out. Her large misty eyes examined my body, making me feel self conscious. "How...?" She whispered. She began mumbling to herself. "It makes no sense..." "Maybe he was sent to me." and other things I couldn't decipher. I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"I'm Mikey." I said, trying to sound cheerful. I held out my hand and smiled down at her forlorn face. I think she was in shock, either that or her brain was whacked up, because she was acting weird. I hoped it was the first one, because she was too pretty to be crazy. It would be a waste of beauty.

She looks up at me like _I _was the one missing some screws. "You... have a name?" She said. I rolled on the balls of my feet.

"Yeah, don't you?" I ask. She looks down, as if realizing it was a stupid question.

"Gracie." She said. _Gracie. _Wasn't that the name of that missing girl on the TV?

"It's not...Gracie _Hamilton_, is it?" I ask. She looks up into my eyes for the first time. We both look away quickly.

"Yes, it is." She said. "Why?" I was about to reply, but suddenly her stomach contracted violently. She paled. "Look. Away." She managed to squeeze out before she suddenly turned to her side and started puking violently. I averted my eyes, staring at the floor. She wiped her mouth when she was finished and turned back t me, casting me a look of apologizing, but most of all I could see in her face that she was _not _feeling well at all. Her body fell backwards to the floor.

"Are you okay?" I ask her, taking a quick step towards her. I cringe as the smell wafted into my nostrils. She tries to answer, but seems to weak to answer. I walk towards her. "I know someone who can help you." I tell her. She tries to fight, but the strain causes her to go limp. She was _really _messed up. I wrap one arm under her knees and another on her back, bridal style. "Trust me." I whisper to her. She doesn't argue. Instead, her eyelids slide shut, and her breathing becomes heavy, but ragged.

I run home as fast as I can, but I'm careful not to harm her in any way. Once I get there, I leap completely over the rails. "Guys!" I yell, barging into the living room. They all look up at me in shock.

"Mikey...?" Leo murmurs, eyes wide. I look down at the sleeping turtle girl in my arms.

"Guys, I think you can call of that search."


	3. Chapter 3

All of them stood up instantaneously. Whatever Don was working on slipped off of his lap and fell to the ground, where they could hear it shatter, and the little pieces skittered across the floor. He didn't notice, or didn't care. They stood frozen where they were, all three of them gaping at their little brother. Well, more like staring at what he carried.

"Mikey...?" Leo repeats. Mikey looks down at the girl in his arms. "Is that...?" Leo said, to mesmerized to finish. None of their eyes left the girl.

"Yeah, It's her. Gracie." Mikey says. His eyes look up at his brothers', shining with excitement. It was as if some switch had been flipped, because suddenly they all snapped out of their frozen state. They rushed over to Mikey.

"How did this happen?" Donnie asked, amazement in his voice. Mikey shook his head.

"I don't know. I found her in the sewers, when I was getting the pizza." Mikey explained.

"My sons, what is all this commotion about?" Their sensei's voice could be heard from his bedroom door. He walked over to his sons, who moved out of his way so he could see the girl Mikey held. His brow shot up in surprise. "Michelangelo, who is this?" He asks.

"She's that missing girl, she was in the sewers. I have no clue what happened." Mikey explains. Splinter nods, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Come, set her down. We will wait for her to wake up." He said. He was just as surprised as his sons of her arrival, but it was his way to mask his surprise with calm. Mikey's brothers watched him dumbly as he carried Gracie over to their couch, and set her down gently. He pulled a small blanket over her. For a day in the middle of May, it was pretty cold. Everyone else walked over and found themselves staring at her.

"Another turtle." Raph said. Everyone was thinking it, but they all needed it to be said.

"Amazing." Donnie agreed. Everyone else nodded. _Beautiful. _Mikey thought. He didn't say it out loud, he feared his brothers would make fun of him. But, really, they were all thinking the same thing. With her eyes closed and her mouth parted slightly, breathing slowly, she looked at peace.

"My sons." Sensei said. "Let's leave her be until she awakes." He says, walking away. They realize they had all been staring, and they look up at each other. Each had an expression of _wow _on their faces. They all forced themselves to turn away, Leo and Raph head to the dojo, and Don heads to his lab. Mikey doesn't go far. He walk to the kitchen, and pops in a pair of toaster waffles. Once they are finished, he tops them and pulls up a chair by Gracie. He eats his food, and waits for her to wake up.

**It was only** about 30 minutes before she moaned and squirmed in her sleep. Mikey sat up straight, pulling himself out of his daydreams. He scooted forward in his seat and leaned toward her face, looking at her intently. It was his way of willing her to wake up. Her brow was pinched together, making her face seem a mixture of concern and determination. She whimpered in her sleep, and her hand open and closed, her long fingers grasping at the air. Mikey placed one of his fingers in her palm and pressed gently. "Wake up" He whispered. Her fingers grabbed his finger tightly, almost like a baby would do. Chills ran up Mikey's spine. Suddenly her eyes fluttered open. She squinted, looking around for a moment, then her eyes grew huge as she realized Mikey was about four inches away, staring at her. She gasped and let out a small shriek as she sat up and pushed away from Mikey, releasing his finger. She looked around wildly.

"Woah, woah, calm down, Grace!" Mikey said, holding up his hands. She looked at him with confusion.

"How do you know my name?" She whispered. Her voice was rough, and she winced as if it hurt to speak. Mikey looked at her with pity.

"You were on the news." He explained to her. "People saying you've gone missing." She looked down, and sank back onto the couch, pulling the blanket up to her face.

"It's pretty bad, huh?" She mumbled sadly. Mikey didn't answer. He wasn't sure whether she meant her turtle appearance, or the fact that she was all over TV. She waited, staring miserably at her hands, her misty eyes tearing up.

"It'll be okay." Mikey says, trying to make her feel better. He reaches out a hand to comfort her, but thinks better of it, and pulled his arm back. He can understand how she must be devastated. Being taken away from her family, friends, and everything she loved, realizing she was some kind of mutant turtle, and waking up in the house of even _more _of those mutant turtles. She sniffs loudly, and a tear falls from he corner of her eye. She wiped it with the heel of her hand, shaking her head.

"I'm a monster. A hideous, terrible, freak." She whispered, bringing her hands to her face. Her shoulders shook quietly as Mikey realized she was crying. He reached out, and gently took her wrists.

"Listen to me." He said. "You are not a monster, you're not hideous, and you are not bad in any way. You're absolutely beautiful, in every way." He said. She just shook her head again.

"I'm alone." She said, her hands muffling the words. This time Mikey was the one to shake his head.

"That's not true." He said. "Look at me." He pulled her hands from her face, and took them in his own, squeezing them gently. She looked up a him dismally, tears on her face. She blinked, looking at him. He was like her. She gazed into his eyes. They were bright baby blue, sparkling happiness and compassion shined from them. They managed to comfort her a little. "You see?" He said, smiling. "We are the same, you and me." He held up both of their green hands. She looked at them, a spark in her eye emerging from beyond the tears. She wipes the moisture from her face. "We may be freaks... actually, we are _definitely _freaks, but that makes us special, and we will always stick out for each other, right?" Mikey says, tilting his head a little and flashing his huge, goofy grin. She smiles back, it was hard not to, something about him just radiated happiness.

"See, that's better!" He cheered her, dropping her hand and wiping a tear from her cheek. "Now, do you want to meet the guys?" He asked. She frowned at him.

"What guys?" She asks.

"Oh." Mikey says. "My brothers. And my father. What, do you think I live here alone?" He laughed. She looked down. Of course she did. Was she supposed to suspect there was a whole secret colony of mutant turtles living underneath the city? He seemed to realize this, and laughed at himself. "I'll get them, wait here." He jumps up from his seat and dashes off. Gracie stares after him.

The way he acts, it seems extremely romantic. But you can tell he thinks nothing of it. He's simply helping a friend. And, he accepts her so easily. She could never get friends, even when she wasn't green, and actually had hair. But he had already practically pledged never to leave her before she even knew his name. She waits for him to return, that stranger with the orange mask and beautiful eyes. She sits herself up a bit, breathing in and out, venting the pain through her body. She wasn't quite as nauseous, but she was still extremely sore.

Suddenly Mikey reappeared, followed by three new masked turtles, and a giant rat. Gracie watched them curiously, and they seemed to watch her the same way. She felt uncomfortable in their watch, and shrank away. They all sat them selves around her, in chairs they pulled up from some kind of kitchen. When they were all situated, the turtles sitting and the rat choosing to stand, the rat stepped forward.

**Gracie's P.O.V:**

"Greetings." He said in a deep voice. It was kind of scratchy, the only way to describe it is to say that it sounded very... ratlike, in it's own way. "I welcome you into our humble home." I nodded shyly. "You may call me Splinter." The rat continued. "These are my four sons." he gestured at them all in turn. "Leonardo." The blue masked turtle nodded politely. It was obvious he was trying not to stare. "Raphael." He gestured to the one with the red mask, who did nothing in greeting, simply watched me. I looked to the floor quickly. "Donatello." A lanky purple masked turtle who waved shyly. "And Michelangelo." He said, gesturing to the one I had already met, who smiled brightly.

"Call me Mikey." He said. I cast him a small smile, then looked nervously at the other turtles.

"I am sure you are wondering how me and my sons came to be, but I am afraid we can not tell you that story until you have first told us yours." He stops here, and waits for my answer. I nod my head with a gulp. Pubic speaking was not my thing, and even though there was only five people here, the way the stared at me, like I was the center of the universe, made it feel like I was speaking for a country. Mikey suddenly gets up from his seat and jumps over to sit next to me. He smiles at me, and I feel a little better. I swallow, and, looking at Mikey, I speak.

I tell them my story, starting from my name, although they already knew that, ending with my being found by Mikey in the sewers. My voice was barely more than a whisper, but it seemed they could hear me fine. They listened politely. Once I was finished, the rat, Splinter, talked again.

"That is very interesting." He said. "Now I will tell you our story, and it will hopefully piece together some of yours." He tells me how they became mutants. He used to be human, like me, but his sons were originally turtles. Apparently those robot dudes were enemies of theirs, along with some other people called the purple dragons, and the foot. He told me a lot more about him. Pretty much everything that there needed to be said, and more. Once he is finally finished, I stare at him in silence.

"Wow." I manage to say. They all laugh at this. I flush, looking down.

"Awww, don't be shy, Grace!" Mikey coos, I smile. He wasn't helping, at all. I look at him, ignoring the others watching me. Suddenly my stomach rolls and I know I'm going to vomit.

Leo notices her distress and quickly grabs a trash can from behind him, handing it to me in a blur. They all look away as I hurls into the trash can. Once I am done, I puts the bin to the side weakly, looking at them with a sorry expression.

"Ah, yes. It is a very difficult transition, it's going to be this way for a little while." Splinter says, looking at me apologetically. I winces.

"Is there anything you can do about it?" I asked quietly. Splinter sighed with a sad shrug.

"I don't believe so. It will be better after a couple of days. I'm sorry to say you will just have to deal with it for the time being." He said. I hissed between her teeth quietly, nodding but not answering. Splinter looked down at her.

"I will leave you with my sons. I hope you can adjust well." He said, walking away. Raphael shoved off of his chair, and walked over to me. I found my self feeling tiny in his immense shadow. He held out a large hand. I noticed that they only had two fingers, both were much thicker than my three skinny ones.

"Call me Raph." He said. His voice was deep and had a rougher edge to it. The way he acted seemed fairly aggressive, I could guess he was a tough guy. I look into his eyes. They were a light, shining green. Almost as beautiful as Mikey's but, familiar. _Alex._ The thought almost shocks me. I was to consumed with the present to think of him. Alex's eyes are a little bit lighter then Raph's, and they have different colored specks that floated around them. I liked Alex's eyes better, but Raph's still look like them. Seeing his eyes both comforts me, and makes me sad. Raph cleared his throat suddenly, and I realized I had been staring. I blush and look away. I reached my hand up into his tentatively. He takes it and shakes it once firmly, then walks away.

Donatello got up next. "Donnie, or Don." He said. He didn't hold out a hand, but made a little bow. When he was finished, he looked kind of embarrassed, like he was wondering if he looked stupid. I could tell he was kind of geeky. I smiled at him, and he seemed to feel better. He smiled back at me. His eyes were a soft, shy brown. He walked off too. Me, Mikey, and Leo remained.

**Donnie's P.O.V:**

I think I looked really stupid. Gah! Why can't I be smooth, like Raph or Leo? Or even Mikey, how he jumps into everyone's lives and somehow manages to stick there? She seemed to like it, though. Unless she was laughing at me. But, she didn't seem like the type of girl to do that. Too sweet. Too shy. Too pretty.

These conflicts rolled around in my mind as I sorted different solutions into beakers, combining remedies. I was trying to make a cure to what Gracie was going through. It seems as though the main symptoms are pain, and nausea. But she is also very weak, and she is too dizzy to walk. I think of these things, all at the same time as I fight with myself.

Why do I feel this way? Surely I can't like her. No. I am just flustered by the fact that she is another turtle, like us. And very beautiful, no lie. But I couldn't have feelings for her, especially when we barely know her. I couldn't possibly like her. Right?

**Raphael's P.O.V:**

I hit my punching bag dully, then turn around and lay on my bed. I had to much on my mind. Hitting things is usually my way of calming down, of reliving stress. But now I wanted to think.

What was it about that girl? I feel weird around her. Not a kind of weird I've ever felt before. When she stared at me, I felt... embarrassed. _Embarrassed? _Since when do I get embarrassed, because some cute little girl is staring a me? Cute. I had called her cute. She was really pretty, I can't deny that fact. Is it possible that...? No. Well, could it be, that maybe, I _like _her? I groaned out loud at the thought. I can't be that weak. I rolled onto my stomach and shoved my face in a pillow. She's not even my type! Shy, scared, and so weak looking. When you looked into her eyes, you got the image of a child, a small, defenseless, child. But, Is it possible that it's all just an illusion? Could it be possible that somewhere inside she's really the badass girl I had always imagined, and somehow my mind knew it?

It's possible, but, still. How could I like her? Liking someone is for wimps. No. I didn't like her. And, if I did... somehow, I'm not going to let myself have her.

**Leo's P.O.V:**

"Sorry about him." I said to her, talking about Mikey, who had just walked away to dispose of her throw up. She seemed uncomfortable to have someone else disposing of her wastes, but he insisted. Her brow pinched together for a moment.

"What about him?" She asked. She spoke quietly, but because of our training, it wasn't hard to hear her. She was really shy, and I hoped to fix that by talking to her more.

"Well, you know. His over-excitement with everything." I said. She smiled and shrugged, looking at me with her large misty blue eyes.

"I think he's nice." I did notice how she only watched him this morning. Maybe she and him are a little closer, considering he found her. I smile back.

"As long as he's not annoying. If he is, please, tell us." She laughs.

"I'll do that." She seems to be loosening up a bit. Just then, Mikey walks in back in, and sits next to Gracie. He was about to speak, when Gracie let out a massive yawn, similar to the one Mikey did this morning.

"Well then! Somebody's tired!" Mikey says. Gracie blushes.

"Yeah, I actually think I want to take a nap..." Even as she sad it, her eyes began to close, and she slid down in her seat. Before either of us could respond, she was sleeping. Mikey smiled at her, and pulled the blanket over her shoulders.

"Another side effect." Mikey said. I nodded, and stood up. Without saying anything, I began to walk away.

"Leonardo." I heard Sensei call me as I was walking by his door. I stopped.

"Yes, Sensei?" I asked, my hand on the door.

"Come inside." I slid the door open, and stepped inside. It was dark, lit up by a few candles, and it smelled like incense. I could tell he had been meditating. I stopped about three paces away from him.

"Yes, Sensei?" I asked.

"Is she doing well? She is comfortable with you all?" I squinted at him curiously, though he probably couldn't see it, due to the sparse lighting.

"Yes, she has met us all, and she seems to like us all." I said, my suspicion sparked. He nods, saying nothing. "Sensei... Is something wrong?" He looked at me. The candlelight glinting off of his eyes. He deliberates for a moment, then sighs.

"The vision I had earlier..." He said, trailing off.

"Was it of her?" I translate. His head dips.

"Yes, but not only that." He says. "In my vision, she becomes a very important part of our life." I open my mouth to tell him that that is fairly obvious, but he holds up a hand, silencing me. "The thing that concerns me, though, is that I have seen you all holding her special, thinking of her as your own." My brow furrows quizzically. It hadn't seemed as though any of them thought of her as special. I mean, we _all _had thought of her as special. How could we not? She's another _turtle_. "But, unfortunately, while she will learn to cherish you all, she will only look to one of you with anything beyond friendship. This will cause conflict between you and your brothers." I looked down. The idea seems extremely possible, but, she doesn't seem like an ideal match for any of us. But, instead she's supposed to entice us all? "Leonardo." Sensei says, getting my attention again. "I just want to warn you to be careful. Don't let one girl tear apart your family." He cast me a grave look.

"Yes, Sensei." I say. I turn, suspecting that the conversation was over. "And" He says, making me stop in my tracks. "If you would, don't tell your brothers. I would prefer we kept this between us." I nod at him, and when I turn to leave this time, he doesn't object. I walk back to my room looking at the ground, my head heavy with thoughts. I think of what he said. I don't think it is really true. Sometimes Sensei does have bogus visions. But, I can't help but wonder.

The way she stared at Raphael so tenderly, her kind smile at Donatello's geeky bow, the way she warmed to Mikey, watching him and smiling at his every move. And then, me. Could it be me she falls for? Or am I one that is left in the dust? No, it must not be true. I can't have feelings for her. I think of her large misty eyes staring at me so shyly. Her quiet gentle voice, her small, frail features that move so carefully. No. I'm making myself thinking this, trying to see if it's really possible. I don't like her. I can't like her. Can I?

**There you go! I little to think about! Who do you think should be hers? Who do you think _will _be hers? I hope you like this story as much as I like writing it, Sorry if you don't! Do you think it is a good story so far? A nice idea, plot, OC? Whatever you like, don't like, feel free to tell me! Go ahead and ask a question! I would really love it, and I will reply as long as you have an account. Thank you so much for reading! Please review! _Maybe if you do, I can make the next chapter come out sooner, eh? _What was that? Who said that? Some kind of bribery here? Muerherher!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alex's P.O.V:**

I stared at the floor with my head in my hands, trying to calm myself down. I took huge breaths, squeezing my eyes tight. All I saw was Gracie. I snapped them back open and got up from the bed with a frustrated groan. My head pulsed angrily. I walked around my large tidy room, trying to block out the thoughts. Finally I gave in and walked to the wall where I pressed my forehead against it. My thoughts weaved their way through my crowded brain, and this time I didn't hold them back.

Gracie had only disappeared like this once before, but it was different. We were about eleven years old, I think. She had said she was going on a bike ride, she wanted me to come but I couldn't. An hour later, she wasn't back yet. But that wasn't too bad. Another hour, and we worried. Me and her sister (who was fourteen at the time) went searching for her, riding the path Gracie said she would take on our own bikes. We found her a little while later, she had lost control of her bike and skewed off the road, which unfortunately was atop a large hill, so she had tumbled down where she lay in the dirt at the bottom, covered in cuts and bruises. Her leg had broke, and she was unable to get back up. Sarah had a phone, so we soon had an ambulance to help her. I held her hand the whole ride to the hospital.

I shivered at the thought of her face, scraped and bruised, and the pain. Her pain. I felt as though it hurt me more then her. What if we found her like that again? What if it was was worse? She could be severely injured, she could be... dead. I shook my head violently. I can't think like that. I have to be positive. She's okay. We'll find her, and she'll be fine.

But, what if she wasn't? I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I should have walked home with her! It's the beginning of the second day (not including the night she didn't come home.) she's been gone. It was about noon now, and she's still missing. She's on the news, and people are searching, but nobody's seen her. And it's completely my fault.

I paced the room anxiously as thoughts such as these whirred through my mind. Deciding that I needed some fresh air, I walked out of my room. I stopped by the phone and checked the messages on the way. No one had called. Sarah and my numbers were on the posters we had hung around, but nobody seems to know anything of it. I had only got one call, and had rushed to the phone desperately to find it was a wrong number.

"Alex." My mom appeared from the kitchen, wiping some kind of food from her hands onto an apron around her waist. My mom was a very tall woman, she had long skinny limbs like me. She had a kind but stern face. She likes to get what she wants but never wants anything out of reason. She has chin-length wavy hair, the same sandy brown as my own. Her emerald eyes shine with intelligence. My mother was always an idol for me. As a young child I thought she was the most amazing thing in the world and wanted to be exactly like her. I still believe she is wonderful now, always there for me no matter what. At times too much, but I know she just wants to keep me safe.

"Yeah, mom?" I ask, my voice tired. She walks over and put her hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes. "Don't worry." She said. I sighed. "I know mom, I wo-" She interrupts me. "No. I mean it. I know how you stress." She stared at me, her eyes studying mine patiently. "I promise, okay? Can I please just go out?" I ask, pulling away from here gently. I make my way to the door.

"Alex." She calls. I stop and turn to her. "She's okay. I know it. In here." She gestured to her heart. My mom is known for making predictions, and being right. That was one of the reasons she was so good in her business. I nod and turn back, heading out the door. My mom was hardly ever wrong. I just hope now was the same. I looked up, and to one side of me the street led into the bright cheery streets of the newest and most popular stores in the city, and on the other was a darker, older part of the city with crumbling shops and overgrown plants. My house was practically right in the middle of two completely different parts of NYC. Me and Gracie would usually go to the new stores and mess with merchandise or make fun of the dumb new styles of things. I closed my eyes and lifted my face to sky. But where is Gracie?_ Gracie, where are you? _A single drop of rain fell on my face in the corner of my eye. I lowered my head, the drop sliding down into a perfect mimic of the tears I feel inside. I take a breath, open my eyes, and walk into the dark. Completely alone.

**Gracie's P.O.V:**

I slept the rest of that day, and even then it was hard to get up the morning. When I woke up, Mikey seemed to magically appear to help me. The day went by pretty well. They made breakfast for me and we all ate together. I wondered where they got the food from, but it seemed rude to ask. Mikey was helpful as ever, making me feel comfortable and happy. Every time my mind wandered to my problems, he seemed to come up with something crazy or do something funny that immediately took my focus. Donnie was nice as well, but he seemed to be working all day. Mikey told me he had a lab where he worked on all kinds of cool gadgets and experiments. Raph was around, he stopped by and we exchanged a few words now and then, but he seemed a bit uneasy today. When I spook to him, he looked fidgety and distracted. I didn't understand it. But Leo was even worse. He was avoiding me, I knew it. It was as though I had did something to him, but I can't possibly think of what. He would always stay a good distance away from me and we haven't spoken all day. Throughout the day – while I was talking to Mikey, watching TV, eating, or waking up from a nap – I would notice him hanging around in the shadows, studying me. One second I saw his intense stare out of the corner of my eye, but if I looked to him, he would be gone.

I truly didn't understand. I put it out of my mind and if I saw him watching me for the rest of the day, I would pretend not to notice. By the end of the day, I still hadn't seen him come out. I wanted to talk to him, but I didn't get the chance. When I couldn't stand it any longer, I told Mikey that I was ready to sleep. Reluctantly, he left. I watched him go, then once I was sure he was gone, I got up silently and snuck down the hall he had gone though. There was five doors. The closest one on the left had a huge poster with the name "Mikey" drawn on it in huge orange block letters. All around the name were little lightning bolts and music notes, and all sorts of cool little doodles such as instruments, weapons, animals, flowers, radios, stars, flames, smiley faces, etc. It was actually a pretty cool drawing.

So that wasn't Leo. The door of the room across the hall from his was open a crack, so I crept over and peered in. It was empty. Not even a bed or anything. The room farther down on the left side had a big "STAY OUT" sign on it, so I guessed that wasn't Leo either. I moved on, investigating the last door on the right. It had nothing on it. There was a door at the end of the hall as well, but the door was wide open and that room was also empty. So I tried my luck with the one in front of me. I grasped the knob gently and turned. The door clicked open, and I stepped into the room, to find it dark. The room was tidy with pretty normal things except for the sword rack and training dummy by the bed. There was a desk with a lamp turned on in the corner, and on the desk lay an open book. His bed had blankets featuring the TV show: _Space Heroes. _There was posters all over the room with the same thing. I saw a shelf full of comics of, guess what? Space Heroes. He must really love them. I walk over to the shelf and leaf through the comics, noticing there was also little figurines. I picked up one that I could recognize as the Captain (I didn't know much about the show, but I at least knew that.). I studied him, noticing that on his foot the name "Leo" was scrawled on it in sharpie.

"Please don't mess with those." I gasp and whirl around to find Leo gazing at me intently from where he sat at the foot of the bed. I don't know where he was when I came in or how he got to where he was now, but he was quick. And quiet. The light from the lamp glinted off his dark blue eyes.

"Leo! I'm so sorry, I just, umm..." I trailed off. He got up and walked towards me. He stops directly in front of me, looks at me for a second, then gently takes the figurine from my hand and places it on the shelf. I watched as he adjusted the possessions to the way they were before I had fiddled with them.

"The show has always been my favorite, since I was little. My brothers make fun of me now, but I can't seem to shake the interest in them. This shelf is very important to me and not to be messed with, alright?" He turns to me. I nod my head dumbly. "Good." He says. He watches me for a moment, and there is silence.

"Sorry I came in here without permission." I said quietly, feeling embarrassed by the grip his eyes had on my face. He shrugs. "I forgive you. What's up?" I reach up, intending to fidget with my hair, but then I realize it's not there. It's a weird feeling. I drop my hands. "Well, You have just, been gone all day... I was wondering what's wrong." I look up to him. His eyes dart to the side, and he seems a bit uneasy with the question. They dart back to mine quickly.

"It's nothing, really." He says, conjuring up a smile. He has a nice smile. I don't believe his answer. He seems to notice this. "I just felt a little sick, that's all. I didn't want you to catch it, feeling as bad as you do. By the way, you seem to be walking fine." I realize this once he points it out. I look down and bent my knees a bit, pleased to see that it was a lot easier then before. I was still wobbly, now that I thought about it, but it was still better. I bounced on my toes a bit, but that made me feel extremely nauseous so I stopped, holding my stomach. I made a face at him and he smiled. I stood back up straight once the feeling had passed.

"Can I ask you a question?" He asked.

**Leo's P.O.V:**

"Sure." She said. Her body waited patiently but her eyes seemed to fidget and wander waiting for the answer. She was taller than I had thought she would be. Now that she was standing, I could tell she was about the same height as Mikey. Mikey had grown a lot recently though, so he might be a couple inches taller. She didn't look as weak now, either. She was skinny, but I could tell she was tough. She had muscled limbs, but not in an obvious way. You had to look twice to realize that she was actually pretty fit. I looked away, not meaning to stare.

I felt bad for the question I had to ask, but it had to be done. I gulped. "Gracie, do you have any... special people in your life?" She looked shocked with the question. Her expression changed so quickly it was like I had suddenly hit her with a truck. She inhaled sharply, looking down. She didn't answer. I pushed harder. "Your family, friends... boyfriends?" I winced at the last word, feeling like a complete jerk. She sighed deeply. "I guess I should tell you." She said. "But... there won't be much to say." She took a moment to gather her thoughts, and in that time I invited her to sit down, so we both were on my bed when she started.

"Well, my family is very small. As of now, it's just my sister, brother, and me." I assume these must be the two people who were on the news. "I could say my dad, too, but he isn't even really there. My mom died when I was nine, of cancer. It was terrible for the whole family. The only one that wasn't really effected was Ethan, my brother, because he was two at the time. But my dad lost it. He started drinking... and he never stopped. He wasn't making money, we lost our home, we lost our food. My sister Sarah, who was twelve at the time, was the one who had to be responsible for us all. She got a job as a babysitter and that's what kept us alive for some time. I helped as I could, mostly with watching Ethan. As we got older, both me and her took better jobs, her at a grocery store and me as an assistant at a local daycare. We did anything we could for money, and eventually we had money for a tiny apartment." She paused here and took a deep breath. "Of course we weren't popular. We had no good clothes, no good way to wash ourselves. We were never unclean, my sister made sure of that, but nobody wanted to mess with the scrawny poor kids who never fit in. Except for Alex." She stopped again. Leo waited for her to explain. "Alex was my best friend, my only friend. But he was all I needed. I don't know why he chose me. There were plenty of other kids who would have been his friends, would have made him part of the 'cool group'. But, he chose me, and we were the outcasts together. You could call us boyfriend and girlfriend... but it's not quite like that. I love him, yes. But in a different way. We don't kiss, or anything. But we are engaged." My brow furrowed. She emitted a hollow laugh. "As kids... we made up this promise that if we never found anyone else, we would marry each other and adopt children." She explained. "I don't know. But obviously we are still losers, and though we never talk about it, I think we both kind of secretly hold each other to it. I'm not entirely sure _what _we are to each other, but I know that Alex is my everything. I feel guilty to my family for saying this, but without him, I wouldn't want to go on anymore. I would rather die than see him in pain. And now... I have left him. I've broken my promise and put him in the worst pain possible. The pain of being alone." At this she turned away, because tears began falling down her cheeks. I let her have a moment.

"Gracie, I'm so sorry." I said, ashamed for making her have to give up those memories. "I never would have realized how hard it's been for you. I know now how it must feel. But this is not your fault. You didn't do any of it. They forgive you, Grace. I know they would." She just shook her head. More tears were falling. Without knowing what I was doing, I found myself wrapping my arms around her and hugging her tightly. My body hummed with the contact. "We'll help you, Grace, we'll always be here for you." And at that moment I knew it was true.

**Awwww, closeness! Sorry, I ruin the moment so well. Yeah, this took quite some time, but as I don't have internet at my house now, it'll take longer for me to upload them because I have to transfer my work from my laptop into a flash drive and go somewhere with internet to upload it. So it takes a while. All I ask is that you please, please stick with me. I'm sorry for the delays, but I just hope you can be patient with me. I made a new profile picture! So check that out, if you like. It's just a turtle character I had kind of made up for myself. I'm working on a cover picture for this story, too. So that may be out with the next chapter. If you want to make my day, go ahead and review! If you take the time to read this text then you could at least leave a message. Thanks so much for reading, really appreciate it!**


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